The present invention pertains to a method and device for a M-out-of-N detection scheme.
In radar systems, a low false alarm rate is desired without a corresponding decrease in target sensitivity. To achieve this result, the M-out-of-N detection scheme has been developed. In the prior art, the M-out-of-N detection scheme reduces the false alarms by requiring M target detections across an azimuth section N integration periods wide. It is assumed that the target does not move to a different range gate during the N integration periods. This is a misleading assumption and may result in a real target not being detected since M target detections out of N integration periods have not been met.
More complex M-out-of-N schemes involve analyzing reasonable target paths through a range-azimuth matrix, and give the best possible target sensitivity for the range of expected target velocities. This provides for a target moving between range gates, however, they either require a large amount of hardware or do not work in real time, and do not increase target sensitivity in multiple target situations.